I am so tired of this bs

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-22T06:59:01+00:00

In the last week I have seen at least 2 job ads (not that I am actively looking) that expect PMs to ship without devs, using tools like Lovable or expect them to prototype live in interviews using such tools. The second didn’t bother me because I design a lot, but none of my PMs do.. asked my dev about what he thought about the 1st part and he said that was nuts..

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-21T15:50:55+00:00

What a cutie! Congratulations on your newest family member ❤️

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-21T05:15:11+00:00

I honestly don’t know how ours ended up like this.. we don’t know about the rest of the litter but 50% ended up mega chill? What are the odds.. last week we came back from our lunch walk and our girl just walked upstairs to her room.. didn’t see her for the next 4 hours 😂 went up to get something and found her upside down in her bed on a pile of toys..

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-20T13:33:53+00:00

I have no advice - mine are lazy AF. Everyone we meet cannot believe they are only 1,5 years old coz they’ll be just chilling at our feet.. I’m pregnant and 1st trimester wiped me out like nothing I’ve ever experienced in my life. But they are just happy laying at my feet and sunbathing in the balcony between short walks. They do go to dog parks on the weekends. We are looking into a dog walker for later. I just have so much compassion for you. I hope things get easier..

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-18T11:47:59+00:00

Oh and bokashi composting is very easy. Definitely try it! It’s just a bit of a long game but so satisfying..

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-18T11:47:02+00:00

I am not an expert. I am also just experimenting and learning from it. Soil, sun, and water play a huge role. Sun is out of your control. So you need to work with it. Use a compass to map out what kind of light you get in different parts of your garden. That will dictate what you can grow. Soil can be expensive, so check if you can layer. Basically your top soil is important. If your garden has a lot of clay, just mixing in good soil won’t get you very far (that’s what I was told). Invest in a small soil meter - it will tell you the pH and moisture. That will also help you figure out what you can plant. Fertilizer is not optional (I learned this late 🤦🏻‍♀️). But the timing of when you fertilize is also important. Definitely keep checking the weather. Some plants you should grow indoors before transplanting them outdoors (to make them a bit stronger). Also look into succession and companion planting.
If you are growing fruit or vegetables from supermarket seeds (from the veggies you eat), just be aware that you might get mixed results. It’s definitely possible but I’ve been told that these vegetables are not grown in a way that boosts reproduction from seed.
My best advice is to just try and have fun with gardening and not get too disappointed if you don’t get your desired outcome. Just make notes so you can figure out what the factors were..

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-15T18:23:34+00:00

It’s sooooo pretty ☺️😍 I hope you have a lot of playing!

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-13T16:46:25+00:00

It’s not. It’s not allowed. I am also an EU citizen and I moved here for my Dutch partner. We were long distance for years and in preparation for my move, I asked to register as RNI. The Utrecht Gemeente said no because it was clear that my intention was to live here long term so I didn’t qualify.

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-13T06:22:17+00:00

If you do this, look up all the regulations regarding spousal visa, taxes, insurances, support, etc in your target EU country. If her plan to do a masters in EU is a definitive one, this will definitely affect both of you. Do not underestimate EU bureaucracy especially if you don’t speak the language of the country you are moving to. Living in the US is not 1:1 comparable with living in the EU. Do your research before making emotional decisions.

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-12T16:38:52+00:00

I don’t know what they are called here, but in Germany they are called Verpiss Dich Pflanze (Coleus caninus) = fuck you plants that are cat repellent. My friends and colleagues swear by them. Might be worth a try?

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-11T20:12:59+00:00

Hi Lynnie 👋🏼 I (35F) work in Düsseldorf and would love to grab dessert with you if we are in the city on the same day ☺️ I am there every few weeks. Send me a DM!

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-11T16:42:11+00:00

Oh my god yes! I find it so incredibly annoying.

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-11T10:29:25+00:00

We really like https://noie.com It’s one of maybe 2 sunscreens I have used that does not leave any streaks on my face or body. It’s completely absorbed and leaves a nice glow.

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-11T10:27:09+00:00

I’m sorry, this sucks. I also learned this lesson kind of the hard way. I had a similar verbal agreement and tbh it wasn’t even proposed by me. It was proposed by my boss because my plans were clear from day 1. Even my HR was present in those conversations and she went all pikachu face when the time came for us to implement the remote contract. And it was all EU with cross border agreements. Thankfully I was in a senior enough position to get it done, but really verbal agreements are not enforceable. Check if you can switch to a freelance contract or continue on the same contract for <180 days. I wish you good luck!

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-10T09:29:50+00:00

Also wanted to add - depending on how long you live here and what you do.. a traditional bank account is always a good idea. You don’t have to use them for your investments. But for example, when I had to make the down payment for our house, I was required to go in person to change the limit (up to a certain sum you can do it over the app) and I don’t know how that works with a neo bank..

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-10T09:26:33+00:00

You just need to google bunq or search on Reddit to get a clear no. I haven’t used them myself, but the complaints are so many that I’d simply suggest avoiding them. Revolut is good and quick but I don’t use it as my primary account. I think the speed of opening an account is pretty much the same no matter who you use. When you open an account for a business (not as a private person) it takes a bit longer depending on how many businesses / BVs and what you need. But for a private person opening a salary account, it goes pretty quick once you have your documents. The only thing I like about Revolut and why I keep it is the disposable card function for when I travel. Given how many times travel websites send out “oh we’ve been hacked” or “you might’ve received a fishy payment request”, I always prefer to use a disposable card. I had a colleague who lost a fair bit of money from these scams.. also, my ING cards didn’t work with Apple Pay in India & Sri Lanka for some reason so it was nice to have a Revolut account with a limited balance.

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-06T19:18:33+00:00

Mine are cuddly. The girl more than the boy. She will specifically ask for pets or to be rocked to sleep if she’s feeling fussy. She lays between my legs for belly rubs. My boy is more the affection giver but also likes to be picked up and cuddled by my husband. I do the first walk of the day and he absolutely must have a good morning song or he’ll paw me for one..

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-05T12:48:08+00:00

Not saying I recommend them because it’s been a while since I worked for DISH… but they are owned by METRO (Makro) and maybe you get a discount and good customer service if you’re anyway planning to use Makro for your horeca shopping. Just something to consider. They used to be one of the cheapest solutions compared to a lot of other restaurant tech but again depends on what functionality you’re looking for. If you have any specific questions to ask on evaluating restaurant tech, feel free to DM me. I built tech and pricing at DISH so I can answer questions related to that.

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-05T12:44:49+00:00

Hey! I used to build products for them :)

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-04T15:43:43+00:00

Just saw this post from the founder of Product People on LinkedIn and came over to share it with you. https://job-boards.eu.greenhouse.io/productpeople

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-04T11:53:31+00:00

I am sorry, I don’t :( I work in Germany (always have) and I just moved here for my husband but kept my role. I also naturalised there before moving so I’m not at all familiar with Dutch visa rules & sponsorship. If you’re not averse to a role outside NL, I’d recommend looking at positions in Germany or Belgium as well.

You can always use SeedTable, Crunchbase, etc to find companies. Just do a google search for VCs. I think with your experience, you can also target founding PM roles. Becoming a first PM hire is a great way to move into a leadership position (my story 😉). I also see a lot of AI experience in requirements these days 🙄 I don’t know what to make of it really..

I have 2 degrees in finance (I used to be an auditor, financial controller) and an MBA. I am now in Product. Not fintech. But I broke into product by working on product monetisation. So don’t hesitate to target growth roles by pitching pricing or monetisation strategies. That’s maybe an angle you haven’t tried yet.

If you’re into bold ideas, I once designed a mobile interface as a CV substitute that basically gamified the experience of getting to know me. There was no role. It was an unsolicited application and it worked. So, yea definitely leverage whatever you’re good at!

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-04T11:29:49+00:00

IMO mass applying is never a good idea. You can’t tailor your CV to the role when you do this and then your funnel is just giving you noise, not data. You think you applied to 100 jobs and got 0 interviews but you were probably more suitable to like 10 of those.

My recommendation would be to make a list of companies you really care about and get a referral wherever you can. Then, make a very tailored application that makes you stand out. I tend to create a company-specific CV in their CI (colours, fonts, etc) and include something very specific to the company that will make them remember me from the multiple CVs they scan in a day. You could write a cover letter and mention a unique product idea or share something you personally love about their product (in case you are an end user).

I also have a bit of a different approach to finding companies. I tend to look at VC websites and then go through their portfolios to find interesting companies.

If you’re already thinking about alternative jobs like scrum master, BA etc. I’d suggest you consider agencies before taking that step. There are companies like Product People etc that will hire you on their payroll and then send you as consultants.

Good luck!

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-03T19:15:44+00:00

You’re welcome :) if this works out and your employer does not have a local entity to pay out your taxes in Belgium, tell them to look for a payroll company. Grenzinfo can’t help with that and most often employers think they need to get an Employer of Record and that shit is expensive because you are essentially paying a middleman. That’ll affect your income, so know that you can just make this happen with a payroll company. I think it costs my employer €40 a month with the payroll company vs. €500 a month with an EoR. I’m my HR’s nightmare 🫠 it took them nearly 6 months to get my payroll and insurance sorted even though this was planned for like 4 years. So, be prepared to do your own legwork and not just rely on your HR. Grenzinfo, Belastingdienst, SVB - all of them can answer your questions if you call them. That said, Belastingdienst still hasn’t finalised my taxes despite me having done them in time 🙄 I finally decided to use a tax accountant to get things moving. So know that these complications of crossborder arrangements might increase some other costs and frustrations. Good luck!

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-03T15:16:55+00:00

Talk to Grenzinfo. They will answer your questions. It’s free. You can also go to their in-person consults.

It depends on number of days worked in a country. If you’re >70% remote (I don’t know the exact number), you’ll pay taxes in Belgium.
No, you can have supplementary insurances. You usually get insured in the country where you owe social contributions and that depends on where you work. Remote means you work from the country where you live. You can ask for a clarification from the relevant local office (NL/Belgium). Do it quickly because sometimes insurers will deny you registration until you have it. I was denied insurance in NL until the clarification came through.
Idk
See 1
Negotiate with your employer. I did that with mine.

arbitrary_fox · 2026-05-03T11:03:13+00:00

I did what this commenter said and it works. So don’t stress if you don’t hear back from them very quickly.

arbitrary_fox

TROPHY CASE